Candles in the Night
by SwordDance
Summary: It has been one year since the death of Dumbledore, one year since Harry decided to push away love to better focus on his mission. But a recent Death Eater raid on Diagon Ally has left Harry regretting his decision.
1. Chapter 1

The rain was steadily falling from the dark sky as two hooded figures purposefully walked down a muddy forest path. A flash of lighting darted across the sky revealing a boy with a jagged scar on his forehead and a plump faced boy walking beside him. The fierce determination burning in their eyes would have scared any mortal man to his early death, but what they we're against were not mortal and were certainly not men. The only word that could describe what they faced was nothing but pure, indescribable fear. 

A change in the wind brought on the smell of salty sea air. Both knew that they were getting closer to their destination, but nether spoke. The time for speaking had long since passed, they had to be on their utmost guard if they wished to survive the terrible ordeal they knew stood before them. 

Suddenly the path broke past the edge of the forest revealing a narrow peninsula. Both boys stopped to take in the site their eyes beheld. The path continued to travel between jagged cliffs with water spraying up on all sides. Dark thunder clouds towered to inconceivable heights and the never ceasing winds caused waves of unimaginable force to crash onto the shore. But none of these startling images could compare to the site which the path lead to. 

A black fortress with jagged towers and impenetrable walls towered luminously above the scattered mountains that circled the peninsula. The many towers did not contain stairs, rooms or windows, but ended with a no walled platform guarded by a figure clothed in black robes. The walls served as the base for the towers and were topped with walkways. A dark, iron gate stood thirty feet tall in the middle of the main wall facing the forest from wince the two boys came. 

"Great, just great, how are we going to get past that?," asked the plump faced boy. 

"That isn't any ordinary gate, no normal spell will break it," replied the boy with the jagged scar.

"Well this just keeps getting better and better doesn't it?!" said the other on the verge of hysteria. 

"Neville, calm down. We can do this, we'll get them back."

Neville took a deep breath before continuing. "I know Harry, I know. It just seems that this war keeps getting worse and worse. You-Know-Who is winning battle after battle, it's like there's no end to his power."

"The moment we stop believing there is hope is the moment that Voldemort has won. We must believe Neville, we must!" said Harry with the determination in his emerald green eyes burning twice as fierce, there was no mistaking the passion that burned in his heart. 

As Neville looked back at the boy, no the man standing before him, he was encouraged. He knew that as long as Harry Potter still drew breath, there would be hope for the forces of light.

"Alright, like I was saying, this is no ordinary gate, or fortress for that matter. No ordinary spell will breach the walls. When Voldemort created this castle for his dementors, he fused metal with the fear and sorrow drained from the soulless bodies of his minion's prey. What we need to do is summon patronuses so powerful they will break the gate."

Harry heard Neville gasp beside him. He knew that Neville never mastered the patronus charm, but he knew the circumstances were exactly what Neville needed to push back his fear of failure and fulfill the great potential he had within himself. 

Harry turned to face Neville looking intently into his eyes, daring him to look away. "Neville, you can do this. Remember what Voldemort took from us? Our parents, our friends, the people we hold closest to our hearts. He stole everything that can make us happy, and unless we make a stand here and now I doubt that anything will ever be able to stop him. Unlike our parents, Neville, we can save the others. They are waiting for us just beyond those walls. Only we can save them. Use that knowledge to fuel your passion, let it consume you. Muster the happiest thought you have, and say the spell. I know you can do it Neville, I know it."

"I don't know Harry, Gran says-"

"Forget what your grandmother says, you are your parents son, and nothing she ever says can change that. I'm not who I am because of what people say-"

"But your Harry bleeding Potter! You have become so much more powerful over the past year, going wherever you go with Ron and Hermione! I can see it in your eyes, just being around you at times gives me shivers of awe. I'm not that kind of person, I'm not one to be respected by others or talked highly of because of my potential." 

"Neville, I have accomplished the things I've done because I don't care what others think of me, if I did I wouldn't be standing here, fighting to save my friends. Move past what your grandmother says, think of Ron, Hermione, Ginny! Think of Luna! The girl who loves you for who you are. I'm not fighting in this war because people respect me or think the world of me, I'm doing It because I know what is important. Protecting the innocent, getting rid of evil. If you don't decide right here and right now that you're going to be less self-conscious and use the courage and bravery that is in your heart, then you will lose Luna forever!"

It fell quiet between the two as Neville looked out at the sea, taking in the words that Harry had just spoken. Harry could almost hear the chains turning in Neville's head as he was working out what to do. Suddenly he turned to Harry with eyes of renewed determination.

"I've been needing to hear that for a long time Harry, thank you," he held his had out towards Harry.

Harry reached out his hand and they grabbed each others forearms. "Don't be thanking me two fast. We still need to save our friends and make sure we don't die in the process."

"We'll be okay Harry, you're one of the most talented students Hogwarts has seen in a while."

Harry grinned as he heard Neville's words. "Its because of my friends that I do alright in school. Besides your just as powerful as me, Neville."

Neville looked skeptical at Harry's words, "You've already boosted my self-conscious enough, thanks though."

"No really," said Harry allowing himself a grim smile, "it's not a coincidence that we were the only ones who escaped the Death Eaters raid on Diagon Alley."

Both fell silent again. What took place on that day was horrible indeed. The war had been escalating and the Minister of Magic wasn't meeting Lord Voldemort's demands. He threatened to attack and bring utter chaos to a village in London, but no one expected it to be Diagon Alley. 

It was the third day into the Easter Holidays of Harry's seventh year. Hogwarts had reopened come September, and Harry realized he still had much to learn, and he thought Dumbledore would have wanted him to return. It was the day after Harry, Ron, and Hermione found and destroyed Voldemort's fifth Horcrux. They left school a week early when they discovered that Voldemort once visited a place in the Artic North, an island off the northern coast of Greenland. It was once rumored that on that island an extremely dark and evil wizard was hunted down and destroyed by Merlin, the greatest wizard ever to live. The battle between the two lasted two long days, and when Merlin finally delivered the fatal blow to the dark wizard's body it caused a massive explosion, sending his evilness to spread across the island. Naturally, the darkness of the place attracted Voldemort.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione could feel the sense of evil the moment they arrived on the island. They could feel it grow stronger the farther they progressed and it soon took every ounce of strength they possessed to continue walking. Finally they reached the center of the island were a lone mountain stood. They found Helga Hufflepuff's goblet in the heart of the mountain standing on a pedestal, got past its barriers, and destroyed it.

Once their task was complete it was already the second day into Easter vacation, so they apparated to the Burrow. After receiving a severe scolding from Mrs. Weasley, they rested. Everyone knew that the three were completing an important task given to them by Dumbledore, and they knew it was pointless to try and discover what it was. 

After resting, Neville and Luna came over for a visit. Luna lived on the far side of the village right outside the Burrow and Neville was staying with her for the holidays. Mrs. Weasley needed to go to Diagon Alley and Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville decided to go. Harry didn't feel much like going seeing as he tried to avoid Ginny for the entire year so far, but Hermione's nagging finally won and he tagged along. Harry still loved Ginny, and everyone knew that Ginny still had feelings for Harry. She denied every boy that had asked her out since Harry broke up with her, and one could see the heartache in her eyes when she looked at him. But Harry was still standing strong in his belief that pushing Ginny away would protect her.

A shiver ran up Harry's back as he remembered an icy conversation he and Ginny shared before he left to travel to the island. He had just fastened his traveling cloak around his neck and slung his pack over his shoulder as he ran out of his room's door and nearly collided with her on the landing between the boys and girls dormitories. 

"_Oh, hey," Ginny had said, caught of guard by his sudden and unexpected appearance._

"_Er, hello Ginny," was his awkward reply and he was about to turn and leave, but unfortunately his emotions got the better of him. He didn't want to be rude or hurt Ginny anymore than he had._

"_So how is your term going?" he reluctantly asked, knowing full well that it was a pathetic stab at conversation._

"_Oh pretty well, school isn't nearly as hard without the constant dreading of upcoming O.W.L's like last year. And having the captaincy of the quidditch team definitely helps take my mind off, erm, other things." _

_It was an uncomfortable silence. Harry had to give up being team captain of Gryffindor's quidditch team, or playing the game he loved at all for that matter, because of his frequent trips away from school, which he was sure was the 'other things' Ginny was talking about. Over the year he, Hermione, and Ron left classes for weeks on time to gather information or destroy the Horcruxes. _

"_Yeah, well you are doing a better job than I ever did," said Harry laughing uneasily. _

"_That's not true," she replied earnestly, "the team definitely respected you much more, and I don't think a few of them are to keen of the fact of being led by a girl."_

_Truly laughing this time, Harry said, "Well you could just Bat-Boogey a couple of them, I'm sure that will demand the proper respect you deserve." Ginny joined her laughter with Harry's, and he marveled at how things could seem like they once were, as if this past year hadn't even occurred._

_But as Ron's call drafted up the stairs and ringed in Harry's ears, any thought of old times was drowned out with a sudden rush of reality. _

"_Well Ginny, I need to get going-" _

"_You are leaving again, aren't you?" She whispered, staring at her hands. Her words sounded as if they were saturated with hopeless sadness between every syllable. _

_Feeling like a judge announcing his verdict of guiltiness on an innocent criminal, he took a deep breath and quietly answered, "Yes."_

_As she looked up at him, gazing into his eyes with blazing emotion, it was all Harry could do to keep his knees from shaking to violently. _

"_Stay safe Harry, don't come back like you did last time." He could tell that she longed to say something more, as did he, but nevertheless Harry allowed himself a rueful grin as he thought of the time he returned from his last little outing, bandaged and bleeding. _

"_I promise." And with that he turned on the spot and descended the stairs, cloak billowing behind him. _

With an uptake in the wind's force, Harry was stirred from this memory and contemplated the task before him. But thoughts of the past few days soon forced themselves to the forefront of his mind. 

As the group that left the Burrow to go on their outing to Diagon Alley was walking down a road that lead to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Death Eaters apparated on all sides and started hexing everyone in site. Within seconds buildings caught fire and thick smoke obscured vision, screams of desperate mothers and cries of lost children drowned out the explosions coming from the Death Eater's wands. 

Stepping from the nearest wall of smoke, Bellatrix Black saw who was standing in front of her and she shot stupefying jinxes barking orders to other Death Eaters. Only Harry and Neville were quick enough to block her, but no sooner had they blocked the jinxes than five other Death Eaters came from nowhere and disapparated with Harry's and Neville's unconscious friends. Bellatrix was laughing maniacally and said that their friends would be left soulless and without cheer where they would be going before she apparated off. Harry and Neville managed to stupefy a Death Eater before he could escape, and they forced him to reveal that their friends had been taken to 'The Black Fortress' located at the edge of a forest that was thought only to exist in myth. 

Harry and Neville then apparated to Hogsmeade and ran to Hogwarts' library scouring through books of fairytales and legends until they found mention of a mythical forest located off the northern coast of Asia, Identical to that of the Death Eater's description. Harry sent a patronous to Mr. Weasley telling him what happened, where they were going, and to bring reinforcements. The two then apparated to the forest and traveled through it for two days until they stumbled across the worn path that led them to where they were standing. It was now five days into Easter break. Harry and Neville were exhausted from their journey, but the determination that possessed every ounce of their being pushed them on. 

"Harry…how do we know the dementors haven't kissed them yet?"

"Because dementors like to make their prey suffer, and Voldemort wants me to suffer."

"How do we know that Voldemort isn't waiting for us in there with all his Death Eaters"

"Voldemort thinks only he and a select few Death Eaters know the location of this fortress, we were lucky the one we stunned knew of it. And…and he didn't think we were capable of doing to that Death Eater what we did."

Indeed, Harry and Neville made that Death Eater suffer until he finally told them what they wanted to hear. They had no time to get veritaserum and the ministry would have just thrown him in Azkaban. Even though they hate themselves for doing it, they had no choice. Whether what they did was just or not, his cries of pain still haunted his dreams every time he closed his eyes to allow his body to rest. 

Harry took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Neville, there's a good chance that back up won't get here in time, and I know that there must be at least two hundred dementors in there. We need to get to the prison cells fast and get our friends to safety."

"Harry, maybe we should wait for Mr. Weasley and the Aurors before we attack,"

"No! I need to save Ginny, I need to let her know that I still love her. I couldn't live if something happened to her. I've been ignoring her this whole year thinking it would protect her, but obviously I was wrong. I love her Neville, she needs to know."

"Mate the way you talk about her, I think the whole world knows you love her."

"That won't help if I can't save her. Okay, we've wasted enough time. Remember, this place is like Hogwarts. You can't apparate in or out. We need to get everybody to the forest before we can escape."

"But Harry there is five people we are trying to rescue and only two of us, and I think it's safe to bet that they will be to weak to even walk."

"Yes, you're right. Okay, once we get to the forest you will apparate them out one at a time. I'll stay back and fight off the dementors with my patronous. Now lets go."

Both boys took out their wands as they turned to face the castle. They nodded to each other as they started to run up the path towards The Black Fortress, side by side. They did the wand movement and simultaneously yelled "EXPECTO PATRONUM" as loud as they could, letting the full extent of their love and passion infuse their words. A silver stag erupted from Harry's wand and he prayed that Neville's charm had worked. He looked over just in time to see a silver lion emerge from Neville's wand tip. He smiled to himself as he heard Neville shout in triumph.

"Focus Neville! Stay strong! Fight for your friends! Fight for Luna! We are Gryffindors! And Gryffindor's will not except defeat!"

_Wait for me Ginny, I'm coming for you was the last thing Harry thought before he focused completely on breaking through the gate. _

_The rain began to fall heavier as the two Gryffindors ran towards The Black Fortress, but as the skies darkened their patronuses grew brighter. Hope in the darkness. Candles in the night._


	2. Chapter 2

All Ginny could hear was a constant humming in her ears. Her head was aching, she couldn't focus on anything. A filthy, putrid smell filled her nostrils. She definitely wasn't at the Burrow. 

Where was she? Why did she feel so insecure, so afraid? What was this lingering sense of dread that she couldn't seem to shake? She slowly opened her eyes, blinking to get a better focus on the small, dark room she was in. She barely made out the outlines of three other people. 

Then she remembered. An involuntary shiver ran throughout her body as the memories of the previous days rushed through her mind like a breaking dam. 

Ginny could still taste the smoke that filled her lungs during the chaos of the Diagon Alley raid. It was a brilliantly clear day when the cracking sound of dozens of apparating Death Eaters filled the air. Screams and explosions drowned out anything that anyone might have tried to tell her. Stores and warehouses were set aflame and she could already see a few, lifeless corpses laying on the ground, never to rise again. The black smoke blurred everything; she didn't even realize Bellatrix Lestrange standing in front of her until it was too late. 

The last thing she could remember of the raid was the look in Harry's eyes as she was falling to the ground, stunned. His fierce, green eyes that always showed strength and courage were filled with something she had only seen in them once before, the day when he thought Sirius was captured by Voldemort. She saw fear in them, and the intensity of it shocked her. Looking into the windows of his soul she saw that Harry wasn't afraid of the Death Eaters or of the flames surrounding them, but of the thought that she was being captured, the thought of her, Ginny, being in the hands of the most evil wizard ever to walk the earth. 

For the past two days Ginny drifted in and out of consciousness, rising only to make sure Ron, Hermione, and Luna were still breathing. The Dementors only bothered them a few times a day, but when they did they made sure to make their hostages suffer. Ginny's mind would be filled with memories of the Chamber of Secrets, of the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore's funeral, memories of Harry ignoring her for the past year. It was horrible, but she wouldn't give up. She knew Harry would save them, she knew he wouldn't let Voldemort have his way with the ones he loved. 

But what had awakened her? No Dementors were in the room, and the others were still asleep. Maybe her nerves woke her again, she never could get much sleep in this place. 

But then she heard it. Two dull thuds. Ginny sighed, maybe the Dementors were toying with some unfortunate prisoner again. But there it was again, and this time she felt the floor she was lying on shake. Something was going on, and the Dementors didn't like it. She could feel their anger in the air, the atmosphere was thick with it. 

Ginny sat up but almost fell over on her side again due to the extreme dizziness that filled her head. She rested her head in her hands to try and calm herself, and once the dizziness passed she slowly crawled over to Hermione. 

"Hermione….Hermione wake up," said Ginny hoarsely. It hurt to talk.

"Wha…," replied Hermione, disorientated.

"Something is going on, the Dementors are all on edge. Something big is happening and they're not happy about-," Ginny started to explain, but was cut off by another series of thuds and vibrations throughout the room. 

"What was that?" asked Hermione, frightened. This place could drain the courage out of the bravest warrior. 

"That's what I was trying to say, something isn't right. Come on, let's wake the others." Ginny helped Hermione get to her feet and steadied her when she almost fell over in exhaustion. They started to move towards Ron and Luna, but before they could reach them the creaking sound of their prison cell door opening froze them in their tracks. 

Both turned in horror to see three Dementors clothed in black robes hovering in the doorway. Frost began to form on the walls, floor and ceiling. The cold emanating from the terrible beasts chilled the two girls to the bone. 

Ginny gasped as the middle Dementor pointed at them with one, long gnarled finger. 

It's flesh was all but deteriorated. She had never seen underneath the cloak of a Dementor before, and it terrified her more than any memory she had. It was pure evil, how could the Ministry ever have trusted such beings?

It pointed out the door, but Ginny was frozen by fear. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make a muscle in her body move. She was paralyzed by dread. 

Suddenly a loud crash sounded from far off in the castle. Dust fell from the ceiling and Dementors swarmed by outside the doorway in the direction of the commotion. The two Dementors flanking their leader swooped into the room and grabbed the unconscious forms of Ron and Luna by the collar, dragging them out into the hallway. Whatever was happening, the Dementors definitely didn't have control over it. 

Ginny heard Hermione take a steadying breath. She glanced over at her and received a nod from her friend. They slowly walked from their cell and followed the two Dementors dragging Ron and Luna. Ginny saw the Dementor that had spoken, constantly glancing behind them. They were nervous about something, something big was happening. 

The prisoners and guards walked down countless hallways and flights of stairs, the farther they went the more filthy and gruesome the walls and floors became. Every few minutes another thud would resonate throughout the fortress and shake dust from the ceilings. It seemed that the Dementor escorts were leading their hostages to the heart of the castle, away from the cause of the commotion. As they passed a ceil with the door slightly opened, she chanced a glance inside. What she saw horrified her.

Whether it was a man or woman, she couldn't tell. Whatever it was, it was huddling in the corner of the room hugging it's knees halfway enveloped in the shadows. As Ginny looked into it's eyes all that she saw of them were white, they where left without a soul. 

With a slight gasp she took her eyes from the horrible sight and focused them on the ground in front of her. It helped her both to keep herself from seeing something like that again as they continued to walk past countless ceils, and to keep her conscious.

Ginny's suspicions of the nervousness the Dementors seemed to have were confirmed. Every other minute a group of them would glide past, all headed in the same direction. Ginny knew they were going in the direction of whatever was happening, and the escort was leading her and her companions away from it. 

"Hey, Hermione."

"What?"

"What do you think?"

"I think the Ministry or someone is attacking the fortress, I think somebody is here to rescue us." As Hermione spoke, Ginny couldn't help but notice the lack of hope in her voice. It was if she had already given up on the thought of getting out of this dreadful fortress.

"Hermione if you're right then that's great news, we'll be free. Why don't you sound more excited?" 

"Ginny, after torturing us for three days straight do you really think they will let us be rescued alive?"

Ginny was struck at Hermione's sense of defeat. "Hermione, the Ministry wouldn't let that happen to us. Harry wouldn't let that happen-"

Ginny fell silent at the Dementor's up-stretched hand, her voice rose above a whisper when she heard Hermione's reply. They continued walking in silence for another ten minutes, until the sound of the thuds could no longer be heard. The escort rounded a corner and came to a closed door standing luminously at the end of the hall. One of the leading Dementors lifted a twisted hand and turned the handle. They threw Ron and Luna into the cell and parted to allow a path for Ginny and Hermione to slowly limp across. 

The first thing Ginny noticed when they entered the room was the overwhelming smell. It felt as though she walked into a brick wall. Only the hallway light spilling through the opened door let Ginny see where she was standing, the rest of the room was left in darkness. She was thankful though, for she wasn't curious at all to what could cause such a horrible, decaying smell. 

Hermione fell to the ground exhausted, the smell must have taken the last ounce of strength away from her. Ginny fell shortly after Hermione did, she was on the verge of passing out. The three Dementors hovered over to the fallen girls and unceremoniously dragged them off the ground and slammed them against the wall. The back of Ginny's head hit the wall, causing millions of stars to erupt in her eyes. 

Ginny felt cold, metal chains being clasped around her wrists as the Dementors chained their prisoners to the wall. Soon all four teenagers were bound and left hanging. Ginny didn't have the strength to prop herself up with her feet, the blow to her head had left her dizzier than she thought possible. 

The Dementors hovered back to the doorway and excited one by one. The one who seemed to have authority turned his head before he left, Ginny was willing to bet what she had left of her life that it was smiling underneath it's hood. It would probably laugh if it could have. 

Then the door slammed shut, leaving the prisoners in absolute darkness. 

"Hermione?" Ginny asked into the darkness, but no answer came. She must have finally passed out due to the pain and exhaustion.

"Hermione?" she tried again. "Hermione? Ron? Luna?" 

Nothing. Ginny lowered her head in despair. All traces of hope she had left were beginning to leave her. The iron cuffs chaining her to the wall were cutting into her wrists, she could feel a trickle of blood running down her forearm. For the first time since she had been captured, she accepted defeat. The Ministry could never rescue them here, from the heart of the Dementor's fortress. She would never see her Mum or Dad again. She would never laugh at another one of the twin's jokes or pick fun at Ron again. She would never talk to Bill or Charlie again, she would never have another girl-talk with Hermione. And she would never again gaze into those beautiful green eyes. She would never again ruffle that thick, untidy, jet black hair. She would never again see Harry Potter… 

But then she heard it. 

A dull thud once again shook the floor of the room she was chained to. The chains binding her to the wall vibrated. Whatever was causing the Dementors to be in such a frenzy was getting closer. A spark of hope once again ignited in the heart of Ginny Weasley. 

She could feel some of the coldness leaving her body. She could feel the sorrow in the atmosphere ebbing away. The frost on the walls was beginning to melt, the Dementors were loosing their dominance of the terrain. Whoever was out there, whether it was the Ministry or some other enemy of Voldemort, was gaining the upper hand in the battle. 

The thuds were getting louder and louder by the second. Maybe they were going to be rescued after all. As soon as this thought crossed Ginny's mind, her terrible memories of the worst times in her life began to fill her head. She could feel the warmth drain from her body and the frost once again form on the surfaces of the room. They were coming back, coming back to finish the job.

The door to the Chamber opened, not slowly this time but abrupt and loud. The Dementor who escorted them to the room entered, but Ginny noticed that it seemed wounded. It didn't hold the sense of composure it had earlier, but was acting rushed and…terrified? No, Ginny thought, a Dementor couldn't feel fear, could it? 

But all thoughts of what a Dementor could feel were swept from her mind as it turned and latched the metal door shut with a heavy bolt. Ginny knew what was coming next, if the Ministry didn't get there soon she and her friends would be worse than dead, they would be left soulless. 

Ginny shivered as the tall, hooded figure turned to face her. She felt her insides tighten as looked at her.

"I'll never give in to the forces of evil," said Ginny, the strength of the determination and resolution in her voice surprised even herself. 

The Dementor began to shake his head, it was mocking her, she knew it. 

But Ginny's thoughts were cut short by a painfully loud thud outside the chamber followed by a shout, a shout that she knew. It was him! But all the hope and love that flooded her heart at the thought of seeing Harry again diminished as the Dementor began its approach. 

Ginny's eyes widened in horror as the Dementor approached her. She wished her eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark, she didn't want to see her death hovering towards her. A single tear escaped her wide, brown eyes as she accepted what was about to happen, she would never again see the boy she loved. 

Ginny stifled a scream as the Dementor raised its frozen hands and lowered its hood. It was all she could do to keep herself from gagging as she gazed into the face of the enemy that had tormented them for the past days. She held back the flow of tears as it brought its head down to her level and slowly inched nearer. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. 

The Dementor was only an inch form her lips when something collided with the Chamber door. The Dementor spun around and pulled itself to its full height, facing the entrance. Ginny opened her eyes and felt her jaw drop when she saw the door.

Tips of a set of glowing, silver horns had pierced the metal door. It creaked on its hinges until it crashed open, twisted and broken, caught in the antlers of magnificent patronus. A patronus in the form of a stag. 

The stag flipped its head to the side, sending the door crashing into a wall of the Chamber. But Ginny was no longer watching the stag, her eyes where fixed on the illuminated silhouette of a man standing in the door frame. Her heart jumped to her throat as she heard the voice she longed to hear for the past three days.

"Don't you dare touch her, only I'm allowed to kiss that girl."

The Dementor backed into the wall as the man's eyes blazed a fiery green against the darkness of the room. A weak smile graced Ginny's lips, she was finally safe. Harry Potter had come to save the day. 


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't you dare touch her. Only I'm allowed to kiss that girl."

Harry stood in the doorway, panting from exhaustion. Keeping a Patrons materialized for such a long period of time drained more energy than he thought it would, but he didn't care. Saving Ginny and the others was the only thing that mattered to him now.

"Get it," Harry told his Patronus. He watched as his stag obediently charged the Dementor.

The Dementor backed against the wall, scanning for a way out of the chamber. Seeing as most of its options were quickly diminishing due to the charging Patronus it took to the air, hovering inches above the silver stag.

Panic quickly began to arise within Harry, if the Dementor got past his Patronus then there would be nothing between him and the beast. But at the last possible moment the stag reared on it's hind legs and caught the Demeanor's cloak in it's antlers. With a flick of it's head the gleaming Patronus sent the Dementor crashing into the wall, charged again and caught it full in the chest. Harry watched as a black cloud emanated from the cloak and deteriorated in the air. The Dementer's cloak oddly slackened and fell to the floor, completely empty of its previous occupant.

With the room temporarily free from danger, Harry ran to the redhead chained to the wall.

"Ginny! Ginny are you alright?" Asked Harry as he freed Ginny's hands from the iron shackles. He swore to himself when he saw her cut wrists.

"Harry…Harry you came." Her voice sounded weak, it was all Harry could do to keep his eyes free from tears.

"Of coarse I bloody came," said Harry in a strangled voice. "Did you think I would let you die?"

"I knew you would come, I knew you would save us." Ginny winced as she spoke, it seemed to Harry that each syllable she pronounced caused her pain.

"Shh," said Harry in a soft, gentle voice as he covered her wrists with bandages he had just conjured. "I'm going to get you out of here, I'm going to get you all out of here."

"Harry I have to tell you something," Ginny's breaths were coming more hoarse with each word she spoke.

"Ginny save your strength-" But Harry was cut off by Ginny taking his hand. And with that he looked into her eyes.

An emotion flooded Harry's heart so sudden and so unexpected it took him a moment to realize what he was seeing. In Ginny's eyes was the same look that she had given him so long ago, it was the blazing fiery passion that she approached him with after the Quittich cup back in his sixth year. It was the look he had secretly longed to see since he left her all those months ago.

"Harry, I…I love you."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. He felt light headed, all the aches and pains his body had seemed miniscule. Strength spread into every part of his being. Nothing mattered, nothing mattered except that Ginny Weasley still loved Harry Potter.

"Ginny, I-"

"Harry! Harry hurry up!" Harry snapped out his momentary lapse of reality when he heard Neville's desperate voice calling for him.

"Neville, I need your help with the others!"

"Alright, I'm coming!"

A few moments later Neville appeared in the doorway. After surveying the room he spotted Luna chained to the wall and quickly ran to her side.

After double checking Ginny's injuries, Harry knelt down to Ron and repeated the first aid process. Ron's skin was extremely pale, it looked like he lost a lot of blood. He had a large gash across his stomach that was still bleeding when Harry found it.

Hermione wasn't much better, her curly hair was sleeked in dried blood and her face bore many small scratches. Harry started to panic when he realized that supporting one semi-conscious and three unconscious people through a castle swarming with Dementors was not going to be as straight forward as he previously thought. He was so immersed in trying to find a solution that he didn't realize what Neville was doing.

"Harry, hold her head up for me." Harry jumped at the command and realized that Neville was holding multiple corked vials containing a greenish liquid.

"It's an energy boost, a powerful energy boost." He said in reply to the question written on Harry's face. "I made it by collecting the juice secreted by my Colan Azucare.

"It's a rare plant found only found in North America," he once again replied to Harry's unasked question. "Anyway never mind that, help me out here."

Ron, Hermione and Luna each coughed as the potion was poured into their mouths. Each looked miserable and bewildered.

"Harry? How did you get here? And Neville too?" grunted Ron.

"Oh Harry, thank goodness, is the Order here too? And the Ministry?" breathed Hermione.

"Neville..." was all Luna managed to say, but the emotion in the word was deeper than any paragraph of words. Neville held onto Luna tight and was about to reply but Harry broke the silence first.

"The Order and Ministry are on there way, right now its just me and Neville."

"You mean to say you broke in here by yourselves?" asked Hermione awestruck, the others obviously shared her incredulity.

"Yes, and now we have to break out. We managed to put a dent in the Dementor's forces, but there is still a lot of them left, and we can probably count on the fact that they sent word for help."

The matter-of-fact tone to his voice made it seem like they were about to go for a stroll in a garden, and the fire in his eyes told anyone who looked that he would not be stopped from the task. For some odd reason, the four prisoners found a feeling of courage warm their beaten bodies, mend their broken spirits.

Each stood, Neville first and followed by Luna. Neville placed an arm around her waist and held his wand in the other. Next Ron got up, helping Hermione after him and they supported each others weight.

Using the wall she was sitting against as support, Ginny stood and leaned against Harry, taking his hand in hers. If all she could do in this situation was to give a little of the courage her hero had given her, than she would gladly do it a thousand times over.

Harry looked at her, emotions filling his head. At that moment the desire to kiss her filled him to the brim, and he probably would have if it wasn't for Neville's alarmed cry and the cold that was starting to tingle his skin.

Looking around Harry saw that the surfaces of the room were beginning to frost over and that his breath could be seen. He held up his wand, but his arm felt dead and heavy. He was sure he couldn't summon another corporal Patronus. But then he felt pressure on his hand interlocked with Ginny's, and knew that failure was not an option. He came here to save the lives of the people he loved, and he would do that even if it meant to give his own.

"Expecto Patronum," he whispered. His stag stepped gracefully onto the ground and walked to the beaten door frame, joined by Neville's lion.

"Neville, take the rear. I'll lead, make sure you guys stay between us seeing as your not quite fit enough to perform magic even if you had your wands."

"But Harry, like you said there are still loads of Dementor's and maybe some Death Eaters-" Ron started but was cut off by Harry.

"Have a little more faith in your best mate, Ron. I'll get you out of here." Every eye was on Harry. Everything about him seemed reassuring; his composure, words, the strength he seemed to be pulsating to the rest of the group. Yet something seemed wrong, something in his eyes. A sadness that the five standing before him had never witnessed. They didn't quite know what to make of it. But before they could inquire further the two patronus' started to paw the ground and rear their heads. It was time to go.

Harry turned on the spot and saw a company of Dementors standing ten yards form their current position. Smiling to himself he raised his wand to the new group and sent his patronus charging. The Dementors faltered and broke ranks, but Harry advanced.

There was indeed a sadness in his eyes as he waked into the fray, a sadness coming from the decision he had made. The others may not have realized it because they didn't fully understand the situation they were in. But Harry knew what must be done. One doesn't simply walk into one of Voldemort's fortresses and release the prisoners. There would be a price to pay, and he'd be damned if his friends were the ones to suffer for it. No, he would insure their safety, he knew what he must do to make sure not only his friends but any other victim would suffer in this prison again.

As he walked forward his stag slew Dementor after Dementor, leaving nothing but their torn cloaks behind. The path out was easy to find, seeing as how damaged it was from the break in. So Harry lead his friends through the mess, not letting a Dementor nearer than five yards. Sweat was pouring down his face and his feet felt numb, but forward he pressed and determinedly kept the magical link with his patronus. He knew if he let It break he wouldn't have the strength to summon another.

Blood was escaping his wounds, but he wouldn't stop. They had the momentum and he couldn't let up. Neville was protecting the rear and he the front. If they could just get off this peninsula the fortress was built on and back to the mainland he knew they could escape. The Order and Ministry should be here by then, and they could deal with this retched prison.

As they ascended a staircase they were met with more Dementors. As Harry ordered his stag forward he noticed a flash of light. A red beam flew from somewhere in the black fray before him, and he barely registered what it was in time to deflect the curse into the side wall.

"A warrior with a ragged scar and a comrade with a lion…" came a voice thick with sarcasm. Harry recognized that voice even in the mist of this hellish situation. So Death Eaters had come after all.

"That's what the Dementors told us," said Bellatrix Lestrange stepping from the mist of the black army. "It crossed my mind that the warrior was you, but I didn't think that Harry Potter was foolish enough to attempt this!" she said, her voice full of glee.

"And on top of it the Longbottom boy is here to! But what of the Lion? Ah…" she breathed as she caught sight of the lion patronus. "To think you actually had a scrap of talent-"

"Enough," said Harry. The word was simple enough, but the tone of command in his voice was like a slap on Bellatrix's face.

"How dare you speak to me-"

"How dare you try to stop me, How dare you kidnap my friends, and how dare YOU speak to ME!" Came Harry's interruption. The words even surprised himself. The past year had really weathered him into what the Prophecy spoke of him as, he thought ruefully. And with that he flourished his wand and sent a spell directly at Bellatrix.

She dispelled it with a flick of her wand, but was surprised at the shock she received in her wrist. This boy really had gained some power, she thought to herself.

Harry knew his spell would be deflected, he had planned on it. He sent his patronus charging into the center of the Dementors. He saw Bellatrix take a step back, he saw his opening.

With a flick of his wand he sent a blast wave through the air which hit Bellatrix full in the stomach. She dropped to her knee's and received another blow to her shoulder. She fell backwards, sprawled on her back. Harry sent the spell a third time, but this time at the ceiling. Bellatrix's eyes widened as she saw the ceiling above her break apart and start to fall.

Harry didn't have a clear view because of his stag fighting the Dementor's but he knew Bellatrix was beneath the rumble. He turned to the others to make sure they were okay, and was surprised to see an awestruck look on their faces once again.

"What?" He asked defensively, "You think I was just sitting around this past year?"

He turned forward again and saw that the Dementors had fled with the fall of their leader. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, maybe with Bellatrix dead the Dementors would be gone for good. He took a few steps forward but stopped. Something was wrong. He looked down and saw the rubble strewn across the floor vibrating up and down. He looked for the source but was suddenly blown backward of his feet as the rubble covering Bellatrix's body was blown off in every direction.

An evil, cackling laughter filled the air as Bellatrix rose from the center of the previous rubble pile.

"To think that Potty has actually gotten stronger! Oh the Dark Lord will be pleased indeed, he doesn't like weak challenges you see…" but whatever else she might have said was drown out by her renewed laughter.

"But before I hand you over to him, I'll have my fun. Oh yes, we will have fun…" and as she started to walk forward the Dementors returned behind her. Advancing toward their prey. The Dark Lord wanted Potter, but the others were disposable.

Harry desperately groped for his wand, but the shockwave Bellatrix let off sent it somewhere that he didn't see, it could be anywhere.

As Harry stood again, no wand in his hand and victory seeming lost, he faced Bellatrix and her black army of Dementors. Wand or know wand he made a promise to himself to rescue Ginny and the others, and that was exactly what he intended to do.


End file.
